Over the next few weeks, we pay tribute amid this horrific tragedy with stories of those who perished. These are our friends and neighbors. We want them to be remembered as something more than a name, age and hometown on a long list.

These are not stories of how the victims died, but how they lived. We tried to learn what brought them to Paradise, Concow, Magalia or Butte Creek Canyon. We tried to learn where they grew up and how they earned a living.

In some cases, it has been difficult. Often family members could not be reached. Sometimes when family members were reached, they preferred not to talk about it.

Normally in that case we would try to reach out to neighbors or, if the person belonged to a club or organization, fellow members. That’s almost impossible to do when neighborhoods are wiped out, clubs and organizations are displaced and land lines no longer work. In some cases we can piece together stories based on social media profiles and messages, or internet research, but we are still searching for information on some people. If you have memories to share about someone who died in the fire, email us at campfirelives@chicoer.com.